Woman Vs Wild
by Yuniran
Summary: Nico Yazawa falls in love with survivalist TV star Maki Nishikino, and she's in for one hell of a birthday present.


**A/N: Sorry I haven't written anything since like, February? That's an oopsie on my part rip. I got lazy and wasted summer. Anyway, I'm going to try getting back into things! I'm really rusty, but its a start. I'll focus on updating and finishing my other stories before I start on anything new. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! This is for a really great friend of mine!**

* * *

"You're watching that show _again_ , Nicocchi?"

"Yeah, so what?" Nico grunted, lazily slouched on the sofa as she spun the remote around in her fingers absent mindlessly.

Nozomi shrugged, plopping down on next to her on the ivory love seat, stained by little spills here and there showcasing its frequent use. "You've been watching it non-stop lately out of nowhere."

Nico knew where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit. "And? Is there something wrong with that?" Her tone stiffened as she grew needlessly nervous, defending herself more than necessary. "This is my apartment too, I can watch anything I want."

"Nicocchi, I'm not convicting you of murder."

"Might as well be." She grumbled under her breath, her shaky crimson eyes fixated on the television.

"So anyway, what's with the sudden interest in survival shows? It's way off from your normal."

"It's better than your lame gay romcoms."

"So are you going to tell me or am I going to sit here and find out?" Nozomi threatened, scooting closer with a smug grin on her lips.

Nico was about to protest when the camera panned to a woman with messy scarlet hair, its past form ruined by the elements. Yet despite its disorganization, it made her look even more attractive. Along with her determined violet eyes, it was enough to drop Nico dead. She stared with her mouth open as the girl stood at the cliff of the mountain, turning to face her group of celebrities and professionals.

"We'll need to descend the cliff by nightfall, and take refuge underneath where we will be safe from any predators up here." She commanded, wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead with the bottom of her shirt, unknowingly exposing a pack of abs strong enough to conquer the wilderness and beyond, but most importantly Nico's heart.

"I can see why you watch this, she's hot." Nozomi mused, nudging Nico's side with her elbow.

Snapped out of her trance, a light blush tinted Nico's cheeks. "She's not _that_ hot..." Her voice hushed as the redhead stood in front of the sunset, her hair burning in the bright light, accenting all the right places.

"Not hot, huh."

"Not at all."

"So you wouldn't care if I went on that show and maybe, I don't know... romanced her a bit?"

Nozomi wiggled her eyebrows in a way Nico knew was a joke, yet she still fell for each and every one of her friend's traps. _Play it cool, Nico._ "You can't even get on that show! They only allow professionals you dumb boob monster." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest in defiance.

"Is that a challenge?" Two hands menacingly groped the air, moving ever closer to Nico.

* * *

"Remind me again how the hell you did this."

"The cards gave me luck." Nozomi replied, leaning back in the airplane seat.

Nico groaned again for what seemed like the millionth time today. Sure, a birthday surprise was always nice, unless it was a one way ticket to a remote forest in the middle of who knows where. "Nozomi, we're going to _die_."

"Don't be such a party pooper Nicocchi, we're not even there yet. I'm sure you'll have a great time with Maki!"

"That's not the point!" While she was incredibly nervous to meet her celebrity crush(if a survival television show host counted as a celebrity), Nico had the worst physical fitness of anyone she knew. "Don't you remember the last time we went hiking?" The memory sent a chill down her spine.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. That was years ago!"

"And I haven't gone hiking since then. Plus, that was a trail!"

"Details, details."

"Nozomi!"

"Just trust me." Nozomi ended the conversation with a wave of the hand. She then pulled out a pack of tarot cards and placed them on her lap mumbling to herself.

 _This is going to go horribly._ Nico thought to herself, resting her head on the hard seat. Even the airplane was rickety; besides the two girls, the only other occupants were an old man and a middle aged couple, no doubt out to explore the world before they grew too old to do so. _Maybe I should think the same way. Then again, I could be at home right now._ The age of the tiny plane was visible in the worn seats and broken straps. _I bet the nice planes don't fly out here for a reason._

* * *

"I told you not to bring this much luggage! The email said _—_ "

"Shut up, I know what the email said!" Nico strained, lugging the suitcase behind her. "But I need this stuff! Does she really expect us to wear one outfit the entire time?"

"That's probably the point." With a sigh, Nozomi paused in front of the rather small structure, looking between the slip of paper and the building multiple times before announcing, "Here we are!"

Nico's gaze, however, was plastered to the helicopter planted in the open field nearby the cottage. "We're not getting in that thing, are we?" She mumbled, staring at the vehicle as Nozomi gave her arm a tug. She had never considered a phobia of heights, given she had no problems on the plane, but the thought of a helicopter spooked her.

The two girls were welcomed at the door by a voice they had only heard on the television. "I presume you are Nozomi Tojo and Nico Yazawa? My name is Maki Nishikino. By the way, you're late." Maki's tone dropped from professional to annoyed in less than a second, her piercing violet eyes moving to Nico's massive luggage. "Didn't you read the email?"

"Uh..." _She looks different in real life._ Nico thought to herself, unable to produce a quality reply. _Different in a good way, she's still hot as hell._

"We did, but Nico here might have overpacked a bit..." Nozomi began with a sheepish grin.

Maki sighed."I guess it can't be helped. We can deal with it later, come in. You're the last to arrive, so I can finally discuss the overview of this expedition with you and the group." She signaled for the duo to enter, holding the door open for the both of them.

Nico followed mindlessly after Nozomi, snapped out of her trance with a deep blush. She silently rushed after her friend, hiding her face from Maki.

"Cuter in person, isn't she?" Nozomi whispered one they had left earshot. "I can see why you have the hots for her."

"Stop, stop, she might hear you!" Nico hissed, struggling to handle both Nozomi and her heavy suitcase.

Maki cleared her throat, creating silence throughout the room as she stepped in front of the group. "Now that everyone is present, I would like to explain the plans. First of all, this won't be the normal trip, as I was requested by Kotori Minami," She paused to gesture to a woman with long beige hair and glittering golden eyes, who waved to those around her. "To guide her in her research. The camerawork will be minimal, and we'll secure tents to compensate for the rather large amount of people. The trip won't be as difficult as originally planned, since we will need stable conditions for Minami to work in."

 _Thank god._ Nico gave herself a fist pump of confidence at Maki's words. From watching all four seasons of the ongoing show, she knew the normal intensity of the terrain Maki traveled through, and those were places she prayed she would never have the misfortune to visit.

"Think of it more as a camping trip, or something." Maki finished, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. "The helicopter leaves in ten minutes, make sure you are all ready by then."

"We're going to die. Nozomi, this is it. You need to remember me for who I was." The shorter girl made an act of her dismay, floating into the couch as if she had just been shot.

"Well, _you're_ going to die."

"Thanks for the words of encouragement."

"Hey." Maki butted in, pointing a finger of accusation at Nico's baggage. "You can't bring that along."

"Says who?" The words shot out of her mouth before she could stop them. _So much for making friends with her._

"Says me. There was a clear list on exactly what to bring. I know you're an idol, but even so I can't bend the rules for you."

"An idol?" Nico gasped at she sharp blow to her side. Nozomi stood with a cheeky smile on her face, gesturing for the so called idol to play along. "A-Ah, well, as an idol, I brought only the things I need! Do you really expect me to wear the same outfit the entire time? Unsanitary! Unacceptable! And you know what? I have a blog to run! I can't just _leave_ it!" She complained, flipping a misplaced lock of hair for effect. "This is a no-no for Nico. Nozomi, deal with her." Anything to eject herself from the conversation. _Nice save, me._

"I'm very sorry about my client. I told her time and time again of your rules, yet she insisted she bring everything. She _is_ a world famous super idol. Surely you can make an exception this once?"

Nozomi played the part all too well, Nico noted. If she were to become and idol one day, she knew where to find a decent manager.

"No." Maki answered without much consideration at all. "No one breaks my rules, not even you. But if your clothes are anything like you, they'll be small enough to fit in your backpack anyway." Satisfied with her retort, she kept her talons on the last word as she triumphantly walked away.

"Holy crap, she's asking for it." Nico growled, making faces at the back of Maki's head. "And hey, what was with that? Why did she think I was an idol?"

"Details, details. But it's fine now! For the record if anyone asks, you're a world famous super idol, and I'm your manager."

"Do I want to know why?"

"Probably not." Nozomi winked, her attention falling onto the problematic pink suit case resting between them. "But you do have to do something about this. As much as I'd love to take your side, there's no way in hell you're going to carry this around."

"Ugh, fine. But I want to keep my phone!"

* * *

"What was the point? There's no service out here anyway." Nico grumbled, staring at the phone as if the signal would pop up if she believed hard enough.

"I told you!" Nozomi called from ahead, her hair fluttering every which way in the wind.

"Yeah, but it could still happen."

"Nicocchi, keep your head up."

"No. If I look up I might miss the signal."

"Suit yourself."

Nico could practically feel Nozomi's smirk as she collided face first with a tree; and the bark was no pillow. Embarrassed and in pain, she hid her face and slunk behind the group. "Stupid tree. Stupid phone." Despite her past failure, she continued to check her phone, driven by a thin string of faith that somewhere, a signal would reach her.

It had only been a few hours, and she could already feel the burn in her aching legs. Making their own path through thick brush proved to be much slower and difficult than anything she had ever experienced on a hiking trail back at home.

"Tired already?" A girl with short brown hair fell into pace next to Nico, her arms moving back and forth with each step.

"Of course not! I'm just watching our backs in case of... of a lion _—_ or something."

"There are no lions in the woods." She replied softly, as if not to offend her in any way. "But I know how you feel! I'm not the best at this either. I tried to get in shape for this, but I couldn't hold up with the diet." She explained with a sheepish grin.

"Eh, working out is overrated." _Thank god I'm not the only one._ Nico silently prayed, struggling to keep her feet moving.

"I guess so. Maki says it would help, but I don't know if I can handle it."

"You absolutely can!" Nico shouted, an image of the dumb redhead forming in her mind. "Show Maki who's boss!"

"Maybe. I know she's just trying to help. Ah, anyway, I'm Hanayo Koizumi! You're Nico Nii, right? I listened to some of your music when I heard you would be here!"

 _How far did Nozomi go with this?_ "O-Oh, really? Did you like it?"

Hanayo seemed to gain a burst of energy as fire lit up her dull purple eyes. "Absolutely! When Maki told me you'd be here, I was a bit skeptical because I had never heard of you before. But I did some research and it's an honor to meet you!"

Something about the twinkles in Hanayo's eyes made Nico reluctant to tell her the truth. She supposed playing along wouldn't hurt, especially if Nozomi out so much effort into creating fake personas for them both. "Anything for my loyal fans! Sooo anyway, are you friends with Maki?"

"Mhmm. We've been friends since high school, but I couldn't join her on her show until now. She told me it wouldn't be as extreme, and that you'd be here! She knows I really like idols, and thought it would be a good chance for me to meet you."

"Seems a lot different from the Maki I know." Nico commented, waving a fist at the front if the group were Maki resided.

Hanayo giggled at the idol's gestures, gasping as she nearly tripped over the roots of a tree. "You've only just met her. She's a lot different than you'd think, actually. Ah, don't tell her I told you, but she was excited for you to come! She thinks you're-"

"Kayochin!" A blur of orange zoomed in from ahead, running towards the two with her arms in the air waving back and forth. "Kayochiiiiinnn!"

"Wait, wait, she thinks I'm what?" Nico urged, frantically pushing for Hanayo to continue before the orange bullet was upon them. Alas she was too late as a light weight fell upon both of them, pulling all three of them together.

"Rin!" Hanayo gasped, nearly losing her balance. If not linked to the other two, she would have fallen face first into the dirt.

"You guys are falling behind!" Rin spoke quickly, pulling the duo along with her. "Maki sent me here to get you!"

"Wait, not so fast!" Nico complained, practically dragging behind Rin, her feet unable to keep up with the energetic girl's pace.

"No slowing down!" Rin purred, ushering Nico and Hanayo along with her. "Maki said to get you guys back so we can set up camp before it gets dark!"

Nico groaned, surrendering as she let Ring guide her through the woods. "Maki this, Maki that."

"Oh! You're the idol Maki told Rin about!"

"She told you too? Who didn't she tell?"

"We've both known Maki for a while!" Hanayo panted between breaths as she scrambled to keep up, her cheeks pink.

"Yeah, we're best pals!" Rin added. "And now Rin is friends with an idol too!"

 _I'm going to kill her._ Nico plotted against her friend, half for creating such a huge facade, half for convincing her that this was all a good idea, and half to avenge her limp, exhausted legs. _Wait a second._

* * *

"About time."

"Maybe we would have gotten here faster if you guys slowed down!"

"Or you sped up."

Nico threw her hands up in the air, frankly too worn out to argue with the cranky redhead, leaving her with Rin and Hanayo. The rest of the group had already set up the tents and begun to spark a fire as she approached.

"Nicocchi, you're late."

"I know."

"What happened? You look like you ran a marathon." Nozomi teased, taking a seat on the log they rolled over near the warmth of the flames.

Nico sighed, collapsing next to Nozomi. "Rin had no mercy."

"I think she's cute. Hanayo too!"

"Not when she's pulling you a thousand miles an hour."

"Are you and Maki still arguing?"

"More like she won't stop being rude to me."

"Maybe you have to lighten up first."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Nozomi, could you lend a hand?" Called a voice from the trees. Two girls emerged pushing a rather large log in front of them, both of their faces shiny with sweat.

"Anything for you, Elicchi!"

Nico watched as Nozomi floated over to the others without a second thought. "Dumb Nozomi, defending Maki like that."

The sun began to set, leaving a cantaloupe glow in its wake; lightly painting over the thin, rolling clouds. The trees around them grew shadows of their own, bringing the night to life. Animal cries sounded as the day's fire slowly admitted defeat to the bright full moon. Nico inched closer to the fire, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than ever in a forest full of who knows what lurking in the dark. A creature with razor sharp claws and blood covered teeth could pounce at any second-

Nico released a high pitched scream as two thin arms were wrapped around her. "Gotcha!" Rin called playfully, dropping her weight on Nico's back.

"Holy shit dude." She whispered, clutching her chest. _Don't get paranoid Nico._ She reassured herself, glancing at the others who one by one flocked to the fire. _Even if something were to attack us, you have more than enough distractions to make a run for it._ Rin sat down next to her, scooting into her to make room for Hanayo.

"You're Nico, right?" The blond woman whom Nozomi referred to as 'Elicchi' inquired, seating herself on the log they had just dragged in. "I didn't see you much today, but Nozomi told me a lot about you. Eli Ayase; I'm glad to finally meet you."

Nico reached out to shake her hand. "What... what did Nozomi tell you?" She asked, quickly retracting her outstretched limb.

"Nothing bad, I assure you."

"Good." She muttered under her breath, praying Nozomi hadn't outted her for anything. _They met less than a day ago. Not enough time._ Nico came to the conclusion that she should keep it that way.

Maki arrived after a short period of time, along with another woman with long, azure hair and proud brown eyes. In her hands she held three rabbits; gutted, skinned, and ready to cook. Something about seeing the normally cute creatures in this state saddened Nico, although the thought of dinner quickly wiped those thoughts away. Umi Sonoda, she recalled, the expert huntress whom Nico made a point to not piss off at all costs; the girl carried a bow and arrow with her, and that was sign enough.

"We're eating well tonight, girls!"

* * *

"Why don't we tell stories?" Nozomi suggested, obtaining the group's attention as the chatter grew silent.

Nico munched on the rabbit meat, surprised at its chicken-esque taste. Although she knew it was most likely her hunger speaking. "Maybe not." She answered between bites, hoping to shut down Nozomi before she could wreck any havoc.

"Are you... _afraid_ , Nicocchi?"

"What? Of course not!" The raven haired girl denied immediately. "Nico isn't afraid of some stupid ghosts! But... Maki looks pretty terrified." Pushing the conversation to come one else would surely stop Nozomi's teasing. _Someone shut her down, please._ As much as she wished it was a lie, Nico was terrified of the forest itself, and a ghost would only add to the flames.

"What? Ghosts aren't real." Maki stated matter-of-factly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes they are!" Rin joined in, a string of rabbit hanging out of her mouth. "Rin saw it once! Right, Kayochin?"

"Oh Rin, what will we do if it comes?" Hanayo cried, her eyes full of terror.

"Don't worry, Rin will protect you!" The two girls hugged one another, seemingly prepared for any kind of ghost attack.

"But who will protect _you_?" Maki retorted, shaking her head. "Kotori, you're a scientist, ghosts aren't real right?"

"Well..." Kotori tapped her chin, taking a few minutes to really think about her answer. "I don't know! I'm a biologist, I don't study the paranormal."

"They _are_ real." Nozomi confirmed, leaning in closer. "And I have proof."

"Source?" Umi asked, her brows furrowed in doubt."

"Trust me."

"Fair enough."

"Really?" Nico grumbled, preparing for Nozomi's (probably made up) ghost story.

"So the story begins one fateful night..." Nozomi began, holding everyone's attention as she discreetly kicked some dirt into the fire, creating a darker atmosphere for effect. "Nicocchi and I were out camping. It was a normal night, of course. A spot we'd been at once or twice before. Little did we know... in those very woods... a lumberjack died in a horrible accident." She paused for effect, gazing at the intrigued eyes around her. "Or... was it really an accident? Some people think so, but others say it was murder!" She lashed out, grinning at the surprised gasps and jumps. "They say that every so often, you can hear his screams. If you're really unlucky, his ghost will show up with an axe. His body was never found, and he haunts woods just like these- seeking revenge."

"Th-That's not real, is it?" Eli whispered, surprisingly the most visibly frightened of everyone.

"But it is! You see, in the middle of the night, I heard something. A shrieking noise. I shook Nicocchi awake, but she didn't hear it."

"I remember that part." Nico rolled her eyes.

" wouldn't believe me, so I set out to investigate myself. A ways out in the dark, I saw it. A white form with an axe, ready to strike!" Nozomi shouted, raising her voice. "I ran and ran, shouting for Nicocchi to come to my aid! I didn't dare look back, but I could feel it chasing after me. I could feel its cold breath upon my neck-"

"Did you live?" Rin asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know, did I?" Nozomi chuckled maniacally, "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Maybe I'm a ghost right now..."

"Stop, stop!" Eli shouted, ruining the mood as the quickly stood. "We're done for tonight, it's getting late. Right?"

"R-Right." Maki agreed, a bit uneasy as she stood as well, eyeing those around her. "Ahem. Eli is right, it's getting late, and we have a long day tomorrow. The tents have all been set up. Make sure all the food is tied up in the trees, and get as much sleep as possible; we leave at sunrise. Umi, the bunking arrangements?"

"So," Umi began, composing herself before she spoke. "Rin and Hanayo will share a tent, Maki and Nozomi, Nico and Eli, and finally Kotori and I."

Nico couldn't help but notice Nozomi's hidden discontent. From what she had seen, Nozomi had a liking for Eli, and she could absolutely tell why. Stunning blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and a body she could only define as 'sexy', Eli was the full package; though Nico felt more jealous than attracted. Nozomi on the other hand, Nico finally had something to tease _her_ about for once.

"So Nicocchi, looks like I'll be sleeping with little Maki tonight."

"You don't have to say it like that." Nico grumbled, very disappointed that she wouldn't get to sleep next to the girl of her dreams. "I-I mean, I'll get to sleep with Eli!"

"Have fun with that."

Nozomi's words told her she was clearly missing something, something she would find out soon enough. As if she didn't shake enough salt into the wound, Nozomi playfully flicked her tongue between her fingers as she disappeared into the tent, leaving Nico with a wink.

"Ugh."

* * *

Everything seemed fine, until the moment the fire went out.

It took Nico ages to get comfortable, the feeling of lying on raw earth foreign to her. Twisting and turning, she finally shifted into a position hat didn't kill her back. It was then that the fire burned out, and a miniature version of hell broke loose. Eli gasped, frantically looking around the dark before forcefully clutching onto Nico, pulling her close.

"What the fuck-" Nico whispered, her voice muffled as her face met Eli's chest. _You've got to be kidding me._

"N-Nico, I think I saw something move outside the tent."

"No, you didn't. Nozomi's story was fake."

"What if it wasn't? What if..."

"I was there. It was a squirrel."

"But..."

"No. Go to sleep, and let go of me."

"I-I can't. It's dark, and..."

Nico groaned, giving up as Eli's iron grip held her in place. This was a side she never expected from the leader-like aura Eli gave off. _She knew, didn't she._ Nozomi got back at her, despite the one advantage she thought she had. With things going like they were, Nico didn't know if she had the willpower to survive this excursion.

 _This is going to be a long night._

* * *

"Come on Nico!" Rin ran circles around the sweaty girl, lightly pulling her forwards.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Don't rush me!"

Because of the 'inconvenience' her walking speed caused, Maki decided to put Rin in charge of keeping the back line going strong. Or 'Nico Duty', as Rin called it. With only a few hours of sleep, she had a hard time keeping her eyes open as she constantly tripped on the uneven trail. If that wasn't enough, someone(who had gone unnamed) forgot to tie up the food, and something had come in the night to steal it away, resulting in no breakfast.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

"Nico no! You can't eat horses!"

"I'm not afraid." Nico trailed off as her fading red eyes spotted a brush littered in bright orange berries. She took one look at Rin and made a run for it, sprinting towards the berries as if she would die without them.

"Wait for Rin!"

Nico's mouth watered as she bent down to pick a couple berries. Their tangerine color made them endearing as she licked her lips, basking in their glory before popping one into her mouth. Before she even got to bite into it, a book hit her square in the face. The unexpected force knocked her backward, along with any berries she held.

"Don't eat that!" Kotori wailed, hobbling over to the fallen Nico, apologetically offering a hand.

"Wh-What the hell!" Gasped Nico, lightly rubbing the red mark on her forehead. "Why did you do that?!"

"You didn't ingest any, did you?"

"No! I would have if _someone_ didn't knock it out of my mouth!"

"I'm sorry Nico!" Kotori brushed her journal off, holding it close to her chest. "But those are poisonous! I was too far away to stop you!"

"Oh."

"If you ate just one, you would've died!"

"Thanks, I guess. That still hurt though."

Kotori sighed in relief, helping Nico to her feet. "Be more careful of what you eat please!"

"Are you okay?" Hanayo wheezed, leaning on Kotori for support. "I-I heard someone shout."

"It was nothing, we're fine." Nico answered quickly, hoping to avoid making her embarrassing mistake public.

"No we're not! You almost ate a poison berry, Nico!"

Although she was touched by Kotori's concern, Nico internally cried.

"Nico if you were hungry, you should've just came to me..." Hanayo shuffled through her pack, pulling out a slightly squished rice ball. "Here you go!"

"How did you get this?" Nico asked in disbelief, staring at the rice ball as if it were made of pure gold. "Maki wouldn't let me bring any outside food..."

"Well, she sorta lets it slide, but don't tell her I shared it! If she sees it, she'll take it away."

"Your secret is safe with Nico!" Rice ball in hand, Nico felt like a new person. She felt powerful. She felt... less hungry. _Will I ever meet this 'nice guy' Maki?_ An awful lot of rumors had been spread, yet none of them proved to be true. _You can't hide forever!_

* * *

"You're really not cut out for this, are you." The redhead's words came out as more of a sentence rather than a question.

Nico kept her gaze straight forwards as she replied, "Shut up, I'm doing my best."

"You've never once caught up with the rest of us. I always have to send someone back to get you."

"Where is Rin?" She asked, acting as if she didn't hear Maki. "Did she finally get tired of Nico Duty?"

"I sent her ahead with the others to set up camp."

"And you're here because?"

"Someone needs to make sure you don't get lost."

"I don't need your help-" Nico cursed as she tripped on a dip in the earth, slamming her eyelids shut and preparing for impact as she felt someone hold her up. Embarrassed, she pushed Maki away, dusting herself off. "See? I'm fine."

"Whatever." Maki looked away, twirling her hair as she maneuvered through the greenery as if it were a newly paved road. "So why did you come here?"

"Excuse me?"

Maki held her hands up defensively, rushing to revise her sentence. "I-I mean, why did you ask to be on the show. You're an idol, right? This is a totally different world."

 _Because you're in it._ "Well you see, Nozomi thought it would give us good publicity."

"Publicity? I doubt you'd get the kind you're looking for on a show like mine."

Maki had a point, and with every back and forth, Nico began to doubt how much longer she could keep this up. But she couldn't spill the beans just yet; she was finally alone with Maki, a feat which hadn't happened once since they arrived. "You'd be surprised."

"I guess so. Are all idols like this? You hike as if this was your first time outside the city."

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"Geez, I'm just saying. You know, it helps if you watch where you're going." Maki commented, ready to catch Nico once more as she stepped on an unstable boulder, slipping of course, right into Maki's arms.

"I _am_." If her beating heart wasn't enough, Nico's cheeks were beat red as Maki's deep lavender eyes caught her own. She spent most, if not all her time avoiding the redhead. Nico herself couldn't make out why; it might have been a bit of 'I normally thirst after you on TV and being here next to you is a whole different feeling'- though she waved it off as 'Maki is a rude dude with an attitude'.

"No you're not."

"L-Let go of me, will you? I told you, I can do this on my own. I don't need you and your friends babysitting me."

"We're not babysitting you, we're just trying to help!"

"I don't want your help!"

"Fine, whatever. I guess you don't need me to hold you up then." Maki let Nico slip between her arms, watching as she fell flat on her buttocks.

"Hey!"

* * *

The walk back to camp was a long one. Or maybe it just felt long. Either way, Nico reckoned there were too many steps spent in silence. An awkward silence that she would've loved to punch into the ground with her inconveniently small fists.

To make matters worse, Maki had caught her staring once or twice along the way; she denied every last claim. Although there were times in which Nico discreetly peeked over at Maki, and saw her looking back. Overall, Maki's actions made it easier to defend her own. By the time they made it back, they were head on in an argument over who stared first. Neither girl backed down; in the end, Nozomi entered the fray, spelling out defeat for Nico. After handing Maki the victory on a silver platter, she announced that she would be switching tents with Nico.

Which was how she ended up lying alone with Maki, her fingers fidgeting uncomfortably while she found it very, very difficult to fall asleep. Nico did prefer sleeping with Maki over Eli's iron grip, although she wasn't sure her heart was ready. _Is it hot in here, or is it just me?_ She thought to herself, uncomfortably scratching her sticky back. It was freezing, but her nervousness became her own personal heater. _Maybe I need some fresh air._

Just as she suspected, the cool breeze hit her the second she stepped out of the tent. A chill shook down Nico's spine as she hobbled over to the long forgotten fire, plopping down next to the charred wood. The whole situation felt so forlorn; just the other day, she was at home, lazing around on the couch. She was ordering a pizza, she was sleeping on a warm, clean mattress. Now however, Nico was living on the flip side.

The people who she had only known for a few days felt like good friends she'd known for years; maybe because they were the only ones here she could talk to. And disconnected from the rest of the world, talking was the near only pastime she had.

"Can't sleep?"

Nico jumped, a few of her fears calmed when Maki walked out of the darkness, taking seat next to her. "How come you're awake?" She could have sworn Maki was asleep when she tip toed out.

Maki shrugged. "You're not as quiet as you think. E-Eli and Nozomi aren't either."

With only the moon's dim illumination, Nico could barely see Maki's face. But from the stutter in her voice, she could tell Nozomi was up to no good, again. Minutes of silence passed before Maki spoke again. And when she did, Nico didn't expect it.

Maki gazed up at the stars, unobstructed by clouds. "It's nice, isn't it? The sky."

"I guess so."

"I've always loved the stars." She began, her eyes shimmering like the galaxies above. "Out here, there's no bright lights to hide behind. It's less... busy and stressful."

No matter how she looked at it, Nico couldn't imagine doing this every day. "Isn't it boring? There's nothing to do. Plus it's uncomfortable and the food sucks."

"It grows on you. Honestly, I was the same way when I first came out to a place like this. The way I grew up, others did everything for me. It was nice, but... it feels more accomplishing to do it on your own, you know?"

"You were _rich_? And you left it all? Are you crazy?!" _Rich and hot, the full package. Damn._ As someone who grew up on the complete other side of the fence, Nico wouldn't dare give up riches if she had them; money was scarce and hard to obtain.

"I'm not crazy!" Maki snapped, regaining her composure. "I'm still rich. Anyway, I left because the future my parents planned for me wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to pave my own road."

It was Maki's passion Nico admired most. It caught her eye as she flipped the channels. And frankly, she could still feel it now. In Maki's actions and her words. It was something she wished she still had. "I feel you." She replied half heartedly.

"So anyway, you're cancer, right?"

"What the fuck? I thought we were finally getting along?"

"N-No, the sign. Yours is cancer, right?"

Nico internally face palmed at herself, although Maki seemed equally embarrassed. "Yeah, how did you know?"

Maki twirled her hair, avoiding eye contact. "It was on your profile." She mumbled, quickly changing the subject. "It's still a little early in the year, but I think we can still find it."

Nico followed Maki's finger, examining the layout of stars above them. Purple, blue, and black met each other in a wild clash, mixing and mashing in a way that left all below entranced. Billions of stars littered the sky as if someone knocked over a bottle of glitter, its contents spilling into the cosmos.

"There."

Nico stared at the sky in confusion, unable to tell one star from another. There were so many, it was hard to single out just a few. "Where? I don't see it."

"Right there, idiot." Maki inched closer, hesitantly placing her hand atop Nico's, guiding her finger towards the constellation. "Those four."

 _Keep your cool Nico, it's just her hand._ She repeated over and over. Maki's hand was soft and surprisingly gentle. Nico gulped, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful hand holding hers as she let Maki guide her. "That upside down Y? What's it even supposed to be?" Now that she had it pinpointed, she noticed how it shone brighter than the others, but only by a bit.

"Yeah, that."

 _That's not a fucking crab._ No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't see it. The magazines must have gotten it wrong. _Thank god._

* * *

"Nico, pass me the bait." Umi commanded, fiddling with the cord on her fishing rod.

One look at the smaller fish made her squirm. "I don't want to touch it."

"It's just a fish. Pass it to me."

Lightly pinching the fish's tail, Nico kept her arm outstretched as she lightly dropped the fish into Umi's hand. Before she knew it, Umi had hooked on the bait and casted the line. "Now what?"

"We wait." Umi replied, placing the handle of the rod between a couple rocks.

At least fishing didn't require much work on her end. Nico didn't realize how late she stayed up with Maki until she awoke the next morning, nestled against the redhead's shoulder. She had to admit, even in conditions like these, Maki smelled great. Although the two woke up in the worst way possible; the bright flash of a camera.

After some strict words with Nozomi and the confiscation of her camera, a very flustered Maki sent Nico off with Umi to catch breakfast. _Like hell that was her only one._ Knowing Nozomi, she had her ways of sneaking around. More than not, Nico just rolled with it.

Conversation with Umi went downhill quickly. Nico quickly ran out of chatting topics, and Umi didn't seem to have any at all. It was a long, boring half hour before something nibbled on the bait. Umi jumped up, securing the rod with both hands before lightly turning the handle. The moment the fish bit down on the bait, she yanked the rod, frantically reeking the line in. Nico watched in awe as Umi battled with the creature, allowing it to swim a few yards before pulling it back in.

After a bit of tiring on both sides, Umi grinned in victory as the fish floated nearer to the shore, breaking the water in a weakened attempt to escape, "Nico, go pull it ashore." She ordered, gesturing at the large figure in the water.

"Wh-What? I don't want to go anywhere near that thing!"

"Then hold this; and no matter what happens, don't let go." Umi handed Nico the fishing rod before jogging towards the river.

Nico could feel the enormous fish on the other end of the line, and held it with all the weight she had. Every time it twitched or wiggled, she held on a bit tighter. Umi stepped into the water, getting a good grip on the fish's tail and pulling it back first out of the water. Nico's eyes widened at the sheer size of it; it was almost two times her length. She inched closer, watching the slimy dark brown fish feel around with its whisker like features.

"It's a catfish." Umi explained. "And a massive one too. This is what you'd call a river monster."

Nico felt like the fish was looking right at her, and it made her uncomfortable. "I'd rather not call it anything at all."

"You know, these guys swallow prey bigger than they are."

"How big?"

"I think on record, the biggest thing a catfish has swallowed is a child. Your size, about."

Nico but her tongue, staring in horror at the fish, and the river it came from. She didn't know whether to be afraid or offended that Umi compared her height to that of a child.

The last thing she wanted to do was get in that river.

* * *

"We're going to get in that river." Maki announced, leading the group to the water's edge. "The rendezvous location is about a days walk from across this river. We should reach the helicopter by noon tomorrow."

"Yaaay! We're going to swim!" Rin exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"It shouldn't be that deep. We found a part of the river that's shallow enough for us to cross on foot. It should only come up to our waists." Maki glanced around at everyone, stopping at Nico. "Most of our waists."

"Hey, if you're trying to say something, say it!" Nico shouted, punching Nozomi's arm for giggling at Maki's remark.

"Anyway. To avoid hypothermia, especially with the cold nights, we'll remove our clothes before we go into the water."

"Skinny dipping?" Rin whispered, pulling on Hanayo's sleeve. "Kayochin, we're finally going skinny dipping!"

"A-Are we really?" Umi mumbled, clutching the hem of her sweatshirt.

"I wouldn't mind." Nozomi added.

"We can't go skinny dipping if Nozomi is here." Nico argued. "It's dangerous!"

Eli shrugged, her eyes on Nozomi. "I think it'll be a fun experience.

"We're _not_ going skinny dipping!" Maki shouted, a light blush on her cheeks. "Wet clothes spell out disaster, that's all. We're crossing the river, then putting our clothes back on."

With everyone eager to go 'skinny dipping', it wasn't long till everyone was stark naked in the water, carrying along stuffed bags. Nico personally enjoyed her spot behind Maki; she gaped shamelessly at the back of her gorgeous body. Although she did wish Nozomi wasn't right behind her, threatening to rub certain parts that Nico would rather keep far, far away from Nozomi's groping fingers.

It wasn't until Nico felt her chest submerge in the water that she panicked, suddenly remembering Umi's facts about the catfish. _A-As big as me..._ She felt incredibly vulnerable in the deep water, unable to see her feet below her. All hell broke loose as she felt something rub against her leg; cold and slimy.

Nico screamed, launching herself forward onto Maki's back, the closest thing. "It's here! It's going to swallow me!" She shrieked, feeling for anything to hold onto, anything to keep her away from the beast below. When her hands met something round and soft, she paused. _Uh oh._

She was met with a hard slap to the face, knocking her off Maki's back. Now there were two predators who would attack without hesitation. Maki turned around, her arms covering her chest as she shot Nico such a glare, she wanted to cry. But she did note that embarrassed Maki was really, really cute. With Maki picking up the pace ahead of her, she clung onto Nozomi's back. Her feet could no longer reach the floor, and she was too afraid to try. "Boob mobile, go!"

* * *

Maki avoided her the rest of the day. Nico struggled to match Maki's quicker than normal pace; at one point, Hanayo joined her at the rear end. The catfish was enough to last a couple meals. Throughout all of them, Maki remained silent. 'Its because she liked it.' Nozomi reassured her, though Nico doubted her friends advice; ninety percent of the time it was pure bullshit.

At the end of the day, Nozomi refused to switch tents back. Nico was abandoned once again, left to die with the awkward silence, which seemed to follow in her wake. "S-So," She offered, hoping to quell Maki's anger in some way. Or at least she assumed anger. "How was your day?"

"Okay." Maki replied flatly, not bothering to look her way.

"Okay, well... did you see anything interesting today? I heard Hanayo went bird watching with Kotori."

"I didn't go with them."

After many failed attempts, Nico decided maybe it was better to just sleep. Talking to Maki was worse than Umi during a fishing trip. _Hopefully she'll be better in the morning._ Nico closed her eyes, shuffling around to get comfortable. The rigorous hiking during the day had worn her out more so than before, especially with the embarrassing events at the river. She shuddered, hoping to forget as well. Her trip to slumber land was interrupted as Maki hissed in her ear.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Nico asked, groggy and a bit offended that the only time Maki made an effort to talk to her was two seconds before she went to sleep.

"Keep your voice down. Listen." Maki whispered, shuffling closer.

At first, she heard nothing. Then, something faint in the distance. "A scream?"

"It's _him_!"

"Him?"

"The lumberjack Nozomi told us about, the ghost." Maki explained, her voice shaking.

"That was all made up, stupid. I was there, there was no ghost. She ran from a squirrel."

Maki shook her head. "No. Don't you hear it? It's coming closer! What do we do?!"

"Go to sleep, probably. Nozomi's story wasn't even that good-" As Nico boasted, a bloodcurdling scream shredded through the still air.

"There's something outside our tent..." Maki clutched onto Nico's arm for reassurance, though none came.

"Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit." Nico chanted, listening as something rustled in the bushes outside the tent. "Maki, we're going to die."

Both girls held each other for safety as a tall shadow appeared on the side of the tent; it walked around, casually swinging the axe with each step it took.

"What do we do..."

"Maki, if we die, I want you to know I'm sorry I touched your boob."

"What?"

"But I also want you to know your boobs are nice as fuck." Nico panicked, letting her imagination loose and her shame free from its cage.

Shocked, Maki stared at Nico in disbelief. She glanced at the figure outside the tent, then back at Nico before leaning forward, hastily pressing her lips against Nico's.

Nico closed her eyes, feeling Maki's soft, warm lips move against her own. What she didn't notice was the wobbling shadow losing its balance. Just as Maki pressed her body flat against Nico's, pulling herself closer to deepen the kiss, the figure collapsed into two people, whose weight smashed the tent.

* * *

"Rin?! Nozomi?"

The two girls sat next to the tent red-handed. Rin held a long stick with a rather large leaf tied to the top, giving off the image of an axe. Nozomi, on the other hand, just looked disappointed. "I'm sorry Rin, I lost my balance."

"It's okay! We did our best! And you were great, Nozomi!"

"Excuse me?" Maki butted into the conversation. "Care to explain all this?"

"We're a ghost!" Rin gave Maki a thumbs up, winking at Nozomi.

"Oh don't be so salty, Nicocchi. You got to kiss her, didn't you?" Nozomi waved at Nico, whose face had long since contorted into an everlasting frown.

"I'm going to kill you. No one will ever know."

* * *

"So..." Nico prompted, falling into step next to Maki.

"I-I only did it because I thought we were going to die." She spurted without thought.

"Ouch. You do have a way with words." Nico replied sarcastically, glad when Maki slowed her pace.

"Sorry."

"You know, Hanayo told me you thought I was cute."

Maki blushed, fiddling with her fingers. "So what if I did."

"We should hang out some time after this, you know, if you want to." Nico suggested, suddenly feeling insecure.

"The desert sky is beautiful at night. You can see the stars even better than here."

"Like hell."


End file.
